


earth things

by violetmercenary



Series: earth things [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Apologies, Gen, Post-Episode: s06e20 The Future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:34:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23907760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetmercenary/pseuds/violetmercenary
Summary: Peridot apologises.
Relationships: Pearl & Peridot (Steven Universe)
Series: earth things [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1737997
Comments: 6
Kudos: 57





	earth things

The days between spring and summer were always always elusive. You can tell midsummer from early summer, without a doubt. But when the days are warm and sunny in summer’s first breaths, one can catch themselves, blinking, doubling back at the shift in season and maybe wondering why the designation of specific days to spring and others to summer even exists. 

It is one of those days when Pearl finds herself cleaning the forge at little homeschool after an engraving class, sweeping, making sure the magma stays well away from wherever a human might stumble upon it and accidently melt the skin off of their bodies. 

There is a cough from the entrance. 

The noise doesn’t startle her, not like things used to, and she’s proud of it. “Hold on, just a moment,” she replies to the anonymous cougher, and takes a second to stow away her broom into the classroom’s small cabinet. She gives the area a onceover. Everything’s in order, she concludes, satisfied. 

She turns and—she hadn't expected anyone in particular, really, but—it’s not who she expects. Peridot’s lime form stands stiffly on the threshold, and Pearl isn’t very good at reading people but there is a facade of confidence that stagnates her presence. 

“Ah! Peridot! Good to see you. How have the tomato experiments been faring?” she attempts.

“The results have been… Interesting. Vidalia says that the tomatoes are sweeter than the ones she buys, but I suspect that is due to the consequences that mass food production has had on the quality of edible flora. We should really dig deeper, of course; sure the soil quality is part of it, but there has to be something else that makes commercial tomatoes so… bad. But,” she hesitates, and then frowns, “that’s not what I came here for. I need to talk to you, Pearl. It’s kinda important.”

Pearl frowns, wondering what on Earth could have Peridot so stressed. Another corrupted gem? A dispute between her and Lapis? Peridot interrupts her train of thought.

“N-nothing bad, I promise. Just, somewhere private,” she says, wincing nervously, “if that’s ok?”

That gets Pearl concerned. What needed to be said in private that wasn’t bad? A confession? A heart to heart? 

“O-of course, Peridot,” she manages, a little taken aback. “Shall we take the warp?”

_—_

Pearl warps them to a very private place. The strawberry fields have been long forgotten by humanity, and any warriors who once fought here have re-lived their memories, said their goodbyes, moved on. And Pearl can recognise the majesty of it all now that bygones are bygones. The way the strawberry plants, in blossom, hug the fallen weapons is beautiful in its own, melancholy way. Perhaps it is a reminder to Gemkind from the planet Earth that it cannot be conquered. Pearl had always enjoyed the human philosophy of the Earth as an indifferent, motherly deity. Harsh and punishing, kind and forgiving. When you hit her, she strikes back twice as hard. When you break her, she comes back twice as beautiful. And, when you try to implode her by planting an artificial geoweapon, she captivates you.

She absorbs the sight and sickly sweet smell of the fields and then looks to Peridot, who seems, quite frankly, a little overwhelmed. 

“Walk and talk?” she suggests, stepping off the warp. Peridot follows silently.   
  
They make it a few moments before she speaks.

“Pearl.”

“Peridot.”

“I want to apologise. For my actions—back then. You know.”

Pearl is surprised. “No, not really? 

Peridot lets out a frustrated groan, and stops walking. Pearl turns on her heel, and she eyes the green gem curiously. Definitely not like Peridot to apologise. 

“When—you know, when I first started working with you guys. I was rude to everyone, but I—I kind of worked it out with everyone else. I never really apologised to you for the stuff I said and,” she lets out a sigh, “I said some really nasty stuff to you. And you just forgave me.”

Pearl sighs too. “You didn’t know any better, Peridot. It’s scary, I know. When you leave the comfort and order of Homeworld and are thrust into the complete, utter chaos that is Earth, it’s hard not to try and default to standard.” 

“No, you’re not getting it.” she says, and she sits down and begins to pull at the grass. 

“What do you mean, then?” Pearl sits down next to her.

“I mean, how about I put it like this: if I said Yellow and Blue Diamond didn’t know any better when they came to earth and attacked us at Garnet’s wedding, that wouldn’t excuse their actions. So, why should my circumstances excuse mine?”

Pearl is silent. It makes sense. She watches Peridot pull at the grass underneath her until it’s free. She watches her start to tear it into pieces. She feels the warmth of spring-summer around her. 

“So,” Peridot continues, “I am really, truly sorry. I didn’t fully understand how… disgustingly objectified Pearls had been under the Gempire until a long time after and I feel very bad about what I said. And how I acted. You are the most talented gem I know. I know I can get... cocky and insincere at times, but I mean it.” She lets the torn up grass fall back to the ground, gently.

There is a long silence in which Pearl doesn’t know what to say. It’s a full silence, though. Insects and birds busy themselves in the sweetness of the field and she feels heavy. Suddenly her eyes are leaking. 

“Peridot,” she manages, and her voice is a little damp but she doesn’t care, “I have always forgiven you. But this means a lot to me. Thank you,” she sniffs, “you have been an invaluable member of the Crystal Gems, you know. I can count on one hand the amount of Crystal Gems that have had the courage to insult a Diamond like you. And two of them are Steven and Pink.”

She lets out a watery laugh. Peridots smiles at her.

“Honestly, I think I peaked at calling Yellow Diamond a clod. Not that my life has been downhill from there, oh no. Just, I don’t think I’ll ever reach that level again.”

Pearl stands up slowly, offering Peridot a hand, “I don’t know, I think being the one to discover magnesis in Peridots with dwarfism ranks pretty highly on whatever scale you’re ranking yourself on.”

Peridot must be a little teary too. When she laughs it is a little choked up. 

**Author's Note:**

> a lot of writers do pearl dirty so *hands this fic to u*


End file.
